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The 2005-2006 Fourth Place Essay

 

     Every Sunday millions of Americans attend church services for various sects of religions. We celebrate traditional religious holidays and tune into preachers on television. We fly American flags, sing the national anthem, praise democracy, and pray that God bless America. Yet, rarely do we ever stop and consider the ways in which beliefs- both religious and political- truly affect the world in which we live.
Even with beginning with the purest intentions, strong and often blind beliefs lead to close-mindedness, ethnocentrism, oppression, and ultimately violence and destruction. Through the examination of the ways in which religion has caused both violence between differing groups and devastation for its followers one can gain a greater understanding of the destructive force of religion, and hopefully find solutions to the atrocities caused by belief.
It's no secret that bold-headed, unwavering beliefs have lead to countless wars and needless deaths. Hundreds of years ago explorers set out for gold, glory, and God, and the wars that were raged to implement religious beliefs on other nations have never ended. Violent conflicts resulting from religion can be found between Jews and Muslims in the Middle East, warring groups in Africa, and just about every other place in the world today. Despite many religion's true intentions to spread messages of love and peace, these are almost always misconstrued as an excuse to harm others in order to protect some religious dogma and way of life. Violence as a result of religion did not end with the crusades, or the Holocaust. As explained by author Charles Kimball in his book, When Religion Becomes Evil, "History clearly shows that religion has been linked directly to the worst examples of human behavior. It is somewhat trite, but nevertheless sadly true, to say that more wars have been waged, more people killed, and these days more evil perpetrated in the name of religion than by any other institutional force in human history."

The events of September 11, 2001 and the 'War on Terrorism' that began soon afterwards are prime examples of how religious beliefs have spawned devastation and death. Of course the men who flew planes into the World Trade Center and Pentagon that day were driven by their own slanted version of Islam, but religion's role in the war did not end there. Despite the fact that there are many factors to the war, and much of the world has their own opinions on whether it is a result of the desire for oil, money, or revenge, religion has definitely played a role in the United States' invasion of Iraq. Millions of Americans, lead by their own government, are now supporting military actions in which religion is subtly used as an excuse to kill. Although Bush has been careful not to directly attribute the war in Iraq to his own Christian beliefs, the influence is still clearly there. According to an article in Forbes journal entitled Prayer in the White House, "In December 1999, Mr. Bush was asked to name the philosopher who had most influenced him. George Bush, replied, "Christ. Because He changed my heart." In fact, Bush has recently stated that he turns to God in his prayers to help him in the war.
We in America fool ourselves into thinking that we implement the separation of the church and state, but these uncompromised Evangelical Christian beliefs come out in Bush's speeches, and are cunningly used to influence the American people and gain national support. Bush was able to win the last election by placing emphasis on his 'traditional values,' and continues to attempt to use these beliefs to cleverly justify the war he and his administration began. By continuously utilizing the words "good" and "evil" he is creating an 'us vs. them' mentality, allowing him to demonize individuals of Islamic belief. Through the creation of this distinct binary between Christians and Muslims, or Americans and Iraqis (or nearly the entire Middle East for that matter), Bush makes Americans believe that people on the other side of the war are fundamentally different than us, and have no morals or values. Therefore, because they are on the opposite side of a conceived social dichotomy, there is nothing wrong with causing violence on their land and taking control over them. Although never actually directly admitted, in our own country religion has become a tool of manipulation to justify violence, and an excuse to abolish people who differ from the Christian majority and government. Essentially, it has become an excuse for death.
Although on a much smaller scale I personally learned first hand the power of religion as a means of propagating hatred against individuals who are seen as others. Last year, my parents were informed that I am bisexual, and was dating a fellow female student I had met in a Women's Studies course I was taking. As devout Catholics they suddenly saw me as an enemy, going so far as to believing I was possessed. Upon confrontation, they abused me both physically and emotionally, all in the name of their God. They completely cut me off, and still will only agree to have any contact with me if I attend religious counseling to be 'saved.' Of course, I won't. I refuse not only because I can't live a lie, but also because I believe that doing so would only perpetuate religion's control and influence over my life and the lives around me.
Not only is religious doctrine used to demonize others of different ideals, but oftentimes these strict beliefs are dangerously turned onto its followers as well, and the results can be devastating for the believer. Religions often have strict laws and guidelines, and followers are harshly punished when they aren't adhered to. In the past, religion is to blame for countless executions of 'heretics,' and futile witch hunts. Sacrifices to Gods were once common ways of expressing one's loyalty to beliefs, and religious followers killed members of their own groups senselessly. Even in our modern society religion is perpetually used as a means of brutality against its own people. Cults have been formed based on irrational thinking, and have been led by fanatic leaders who not only encourage their own followers to harm others, but to harm or even kill themselves in the name of their beliefs.
Women, in particular, are victims within their own churches. The majority of religions are used as an oppressive tool of control over women, preventing them from achieving power, success, education, and equality. In Africa and parts of the Middle East religious tradition has led to female circumcision, which still occurs in great numbers today. In this horrific act a women's clitoris is removed and her vagina is shown shut to ensure that she will remain 'pure.' Even more disturbing is the practice of honor killings within Islam. Because women are seen as merely objects, and are valued for their chastity, it is believed that once a woman is 'broken,' meaning she has lost her virginity, she cannot be fixed. As a result, she must be killed to maintain both her and the family's honor. This means that even if a girl is raped she is still dishonorable, and in the eyes of the family she must be killed. In America we tend to think that this rarely still occurs, but according to the Women's International Network News on June 5, 2003, "The UN estimates that at least 5,000 women die each year from honor killings." The fact is that religious beliefs have such an effect on people that they will look their own sisters, daughters, or cousins in the eye and shoot them.
In the perfect world, individuals would no longer feel a need to fill a void with religious beliefs that ultimately control their lives. But unfortunately, a completely peaceful society based on logic rather than irrational beliefs is perhaps far too ultraistic to become a reality anytime soon. However, individuals can take steps to reduce and eventually eliminate religion's rule over our world. As with anything, ignorance can be fought with education. Those who insist on holding onto their religious beliefs must be made to realize that they are not the only ones, and must stop insisting they're always on the side of righteousness. Religion, when coupled with true acceptance, becomes a much less dangerous force. Furthermore, freethinkers of all backgrounds and viewpoints must also take steps to end the violent force of religion. We cannot be afraid to speak out within our families or communities, or be ashamed to not fit into a set doctrine of beliefs. In his famous song "Imagine," John Lennon urged listeners to, "Imagine no religion," and, "Living life in peace." While a world without religion may still be lifetimes away, we should never overlook the destructive nature and oppressive force that is the world's must coveted institution.

Works Cited
Johnson, Paul. "Prayer in the White House." Forbes Journal. 176.11, 2005.
"Jordan: Another 'Honor Crime' Goes Unpunished By Government." Women's International Network News. 29.3 (2003): 48.
Kimball, Charles. When Religion Becomes Evil. New York: HarperCollins, 2003.